Following Orders

Fundamentalists tend to emphasize a Christian's responsibility to obey - to conform to God's Will - to follow orders. For me, that was certainly the case with the Armstrong Churches of God with which I was formerly associated. And, it wasn't just the expectation that God's laws, ordinances and statutes be scrupulously followed - it was also expected that members fully submit to Church authority in all areas of their lives (spiritual and secular). Likewise, Fundamentalists tend to expect that individual families follow the paternalistic model outlined in Scripture (children are expected to obey their parents and wives are expected to submit to their husbands). Finally, most of these groups also teach submission to secular governmental authorities (except when and where they conflict with God's instructions).

Scripture, however, qualifies the obligation of Christians to obey by clearly delineating some important exceptions to that responsibility. For example, when the apostles were confronted for continuing to preach about Christ after the religious leaders had ordered them to cease, they responded: "We must obey God rather than any human authority." (see Acts 5:29) Likewise, the author of Acts wrote that the Bereans were more noble than the folks in Thessalonica because "They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth." (see Acts 17:11)

In his letter to the saints at Rome, Paul wrote about the importance of personal conviction and conscience in obedience. He talked about Abraham's personal conviction in the fourth chapter, and he discussed the role that personal conscience should play in more general terms in the fourteenth chapter. Paul talks about how Christians believe different things about which foods are appropriate to eat and which days should be observed, and then he declared: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (see Romans 14:5) He goes on to say that a person's personal convictions on these kinds of issues are crucial, and that all Christians should be motivated by a desire to build each other up and NOT erect stumbling blocks for each other.

The apostle to the Gentiles went on to say that it's dangerous not to follow your personal convictions about the morality of some behavior. Paul concluded: "If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." (see Romans 14:23) In similar fashion, Paul told the saints of Colossae to not permit others to dictate which observances they adhered to (see Colossians 2:16-17). In other words, I'm not going to be condemned for my behaviors which YOU believe to be sinful. Likewise, it is damning for you to engage in some behavior which you regard to be sinful even if I believe it's OK!

In his letter to the twelve tribes "scattered abroad," James made clear that he believed that this principle of personal conviction about right and wrong didn't just apply to sins of commission, but that it also applied to sins of omission. He wrote: "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (see James 4:17)

Jesus Christ appealed to individual conscience to thwart those who were eager to dole out the harshest judgments and punishments for a sinner in their midst. A woman who had been caught in the act of adultery was about to be stoned, and Christ intervened. He said: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (see John 8:7) This, we are told, elicited the following reaction: "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." (see John 8:9) In similar fashion, Christ warned his followers NOT to follow the example of the religious leaders of his day because "they don’t practice what they teach." (see Matthew 23:1-4) He went on to say that one's motivation for obedience is more important than the actual obedience. (see verses 5-12)

Christ also instructed his followers to look beyond the letter of the law. Instead, he wanted them to think about the intent or spirit of the law. What was the logic in someone starving to death on the Sabbath because they believed it was inappropriate to harvest grain on that day? (Mark 2:23-27) In fact, Christ summarized God's laws into two great principles: Love of God and Love of neighbor (see Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus concluded: "The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." (see verse 40) Paul said that love is the fulfillment of the law (see Romans 13:10). In other words, strictly following orders is no replacement for exercising the love intended by the edict! 

Finally, Christ never compromised with his personal convictions about what God expected of him - even in the face of overt hostility by the religious and political leaders of his day. Nevertheless, when they decided to judge his behavior to be blasphemous and seditious and condemned him to death, he humbly submitted himself to their authority to do so. In other words, our refusal to follow orders may carry very negative consequences for us in this life (and we have to be willing to accept those consequences). Even so, I'm sure that none of us ever wants to be in the position of standing before the judgment seat of God and declaring that we were "only following orders." And, just as following unlawful orders is not accepted as an excuse for bad acts in the military, God will NOT accept it as an excuse for bad behavior by Christians in the future!    

Hence, it is incumbent upon all of us who profess the name of Jesus Christ that we give serious thought/consideration to what and why we are doing the things we do. Are we just going through the motions? Does God want mindless automatons following the programing "He" has plugged into us? OR Does God want us to be thinking about where the Spirit is directing us, and why we should be following "His" lead?